


93 Diagon Alley

by LunaLemongood



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:15:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28924185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaLemongood/pseuds/LunaLemongood
Summary: When Belle Blackwood accepts a job at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, it becomes clear rather quickly that she has her heart set on more than just a paycheck.
Relationships: George Weasley / Belle Blackwood
Kudos: 1





	1. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

Belle Blackwood ducked just in time to dodge a Fanged Flyer that whizzed past her head. The flyer let out a disgruntled growl as its teeth collided with pyramid of glass bottles that Belle had just finished setting up. The pyramid shook, and for a moment it stood still. Belle took a deep breath of relief; believing that she had narrowly escaped yet another product disaster. But her hopes were crushed as the pyramid of glass jars crashed to the ground. Several of the small containers shattered on the floor, and Belle was instantly enveloped in a small rainstorm. 

George, who had rushed to the front of the store to see what all the commotion was about, couldn't help but laugh when he saw Belle. She looked like something out of a cartoon. There she was, standing under a dark raincloud of her own, as droplets absolutely poured over her. Her hair and clothes were soaked, and she sported a rather furious look.

"Why do you insist on letting those flyers have free reign of the store?!" Belle shouted as soon as she say George.

"It adds to the atmosphere." George said matter of factly as he shrugged one shoulder.

Belle's face turned rather red, and the image of her as a tiny ball of anger under her own despair cloud was almost too much for George. He began to burst out into laughter again, but raised his wand all the same. He gave it a little flick, and the cloud that had been tormenting Belle vanished. Another flick and the shards of glass that once littered the floor of the shop vanished. Once more, and Belle's clothes and hair were dry again.

"It's like every other day you've fallen victim to another one of the products. I'm honestly surprised that you're still working here." George began, "You don't seem to be into the products, and you _really_ don't seem like the person who can take a joke. So tell me, Belle, what even made you apply for this job?"

"If I'm being honest..." Belle began nervously, her face a different shade of red than the one of rage she previously had, "I just wanted a chance to be close to you. To get to know you a little better."

George found himself blushing, "Very funny, I suppose I deserve a poke like that after what my inventions have done to you this month."

"I'm serious George." Belle said, "I was only a year behind you at Hogwarts, but it was like you didn't even know I existed."

"Wait, you were only a year behind me?" George said, now ashamed that he could not remember seeing her face until she had walked into the shop a little over a month ago.

"Yes, but I was in Slytherin... which meant that you never really took notice of me." she took a step closer to George, "But believe me when I tell you that I took notice of you."

George gulped nervously, his thoughts now racing. Of course he had taken notice of how pretty Belle was the moment she walked in for the job interview. However, the moment he saw the name Blackwood on her resume, he wrongly assumed that she would never be interested in him. The Blackwoods were a well known pureblood family that had ties to the Ministry. They were known for their wealth, influence, and exclusively associating themselves with other purebloods. He had thought it was weird that a member of the Blackwood family had turned up looking for a job in a joke shop of all places, but it was beginning to make sense now.

"I was planning on going to Florean's in a moment..." George paused, finding his courage, "Would you like to come along?"

"Oh, I don't know." Belle said teasingly, "I'll have to check with my boss to see if it's okay to take off work for the afternoon."

George beamed, "You know, I've heard that that boss of yours is a rather reasonable fellow. I'm sure he would allow you to have the evening off."

Belle giggled.

"I've also heard that he is extremely good looking." George added.

"Really?" Belle said, pretending to be shocked.

"Oh yes, and very smart. An absolute pristine example of a man." George continued to prattle on. 


	2. Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour

Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour had recently received a fresh coat of bubblegum pink paint. The bold white stripes painted on helped to break up the nauseating color. A crooked "Under New Management" sign hung in the front window.

"I've been meaning to give the place a try since the new owner reopened." George said as he and Belle walked towards the ice cream parlour. A waft of vanilla caressed their noses.

"They've been reopened for weeks now, honestly I'm shocked that you haven't made your way over here yet." Belle responded.

"I used to love this place before Florean... well, before he disappeared." George said, "I heard the guy who reopened the place is a distant relative of Florean's, but part of me has been hesitant to come. I have so many good memories of this place, and the particular taste of their ice-cream never fails to bring back those memories for me. I'm afraid if they changed the recipes, well then that's just one more thing I've lost."

A small bell clanged as the two entered the front door of the shop. A teenager with blue hair was behind the counter. She was reading a magazine and chewing rather obnoxiously on bubble gum.

"Could we get a banana split with two spoons, please?" George asked the girl.

The girl blue a large bubble which popped with an annoying _crack_ sound. "Yeah, whatever." She hadn't looked up from her magazine.

The two took a seat a small wrought iron table in the corner of the store. Within moments of sitting down, the banana split appeared on their table; along with a spoon and napkin for each of them.

"So..." George said quizzically as he lifted his spoon, "Which of the flavors in a banana split is your favorite? And choose carefully, because I will judge you harshly based on your answer."

Belle chuckled, "Well, if I was pressed to pick, I'd have to go with chocolate. Sure, it's a bit basic, but it's an option that you can't go wrong with. I feel like you have to be in a certain mood to crave the fruit ones. Whereas ole' chocolate, he's here for whatever you're feeling. Break up? Chocolate. Celebrating? Chocolate. Bored? Chocolate."

"I'm sorry, dear. The correct answer was pineapple." George said as he scooped a large spoonful of pineapple ice cream and plopped it instantly into his mouth.

"You've got to be joking." Belle said astonished.

"Normally, yes, but I would never joke about pineapple ice cream." George said in a playfully serious tone.

"George, that's the consolation prize flavor of the banana split." Belle said.

George clutched his heart and acted like he was going to faint.

Belle couldn't help but giggle, and took her own large spoonful of ice cream. Chocolate, of course.

"So," Belle began, "does it taste like how you remember it?"

George smiled fondly, as if reliving a moment in his head. "It tastes like the time I made Ron kiss a frog."

"Is there a story behind that?" Belle asked.

"Not really. I dared him and he did it. Still a nice memory though."

They both laughed. 

"I'll tell you what," George began, "You can have all the chocolate if I can have all of the pineapple."

"Absolutely. What kind of deal is that?" Belle joked.

"Buuut..." George drew out the word.

"But?" Belle questioned.

"But you're going to have to fight me for the strawberry." He teased.

"Every lady loves a good duel on a first date." Belle smiled.

"Lady Blackwood, I Sir Weasley challenge you to an arm wrestling match. To the winner go the spoils." George said in an announcer-like voice.

"I accept." Belle said with a little bow.

The pair placed their elbows on the table and locked hands. Belle felt her heart skip a beat at the warm touch of George's hand against hers. She wanted desperately to interlace her fingers with his.

"Ready?" George asked, snapping Belle out of her little fantasy.

"Ready." Belle said in a determined voice.

"Three...two...one!" George yelled.

Belle barely pushed, and George's hand slammed onto the table.

"I guess you win." George said with a goofy smile, "My my, you're so strong."

"You didn't even try!" Belle accused.

"Guilty." George said, raising his hands in the air as if surrendering.

"You're sweet, George." Belle said.

"Oh, don't be fooled, love. This sweetness you're seeing is a direct result of too much sugar in my bloodstream. I'm afraid that normally I'm just a brutish troll." George said as he puffed out his cheeks and made an angry cross-eyed face.

"So you're saying if I like this George, I should keep you stuffed with sweets till you burst?" Belle teased.

"If you did that, I would die a happy man." George said, placing a hand tenderly on his chest.

"You may die happy, but I'll be the one that has to deal with Molly's wrath when I bring her son home in sugar coated chunks. No, Mr. Weasley, I'm afraid I'll have to feed you proper." Belle joked.

"Well, if you _insist_ on making sure I eat properly, perhaps you'd like to join me for dinner tomorrow?" George asked, raising one eyebrow.

"George Weasley, are you asking me on a second date when the first one hasn't even finished yet?" Belle playfully lectured.

"Is that a no?" George teased.

"I never said that." Belle said coyly.

"Well then, I'll pick you up tomorrow evening at seven. We can have drinks and dinner at The Leaky Cauldron." George was holding back a smile.

"I don't think bar food would be considered a proper meal, Mr. Weasley." Belle tormented.

"One step at a time, love." George said with a wink.


	3. The Leaky Cauldron

Belle was in the backroom of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, counting the various products on the wall high shelves and double checking those numbers on her clipboard. It was dreadfully boring work.

George wandered into the back room and headed straight for the shelves Belle was working on.

"Excuse me, love." He said as he reached for a tube of Bruise-healing paste on the top shelf. He made sure to press his chest against Belle's back as he pretended to strain to reach.

George had been pulling little stunts like this all day. At first, when they brushed hands packaging Skiving Snackboxes, Belle thought it was all in her head. She became a little more confident when George passed her in a narrow part of the store and had placed his hands on her waist as he skootched past her. After this most recent move of his, she was certain George was playfully finding ways to touch her through out the day.

A small bell rang at the front of the shop; signaling that someone had entered. George placed the tube back on the shelf and headed to the front desk.

"Hello George!" Hermione said cheerfully.

"Hermione!" George exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"I just thought I'm come pick up a little something for Ron for his birthday." Hermione said as she dug around in her overly cluttered purse. She pulled a golden envelope from her bag and handed it to George, her face beaming. "I also wanted to give you this in person!"

"What is it?" George asked eyeballing the golden envelope with his name written in rather fancy script on the front.

"It's an invitation to Ron and I's wedding. We've finally set a date!" Hermione could barely contain her excitement.

"Finally! I was beginning to worry that little Ron was going to chicken out" George chuckled.

Hermione didn't seem pleased by this comment.

The stock room door opened and Belle walked out to the storefront. "Everything's accounted for, George." she said.

"Oh, and who is this?" Hermione gestured towards Belle.

"Oh, that's Belle. She's my uh- She's my newest employee." George said in a flustered tone.

"Belle Blackwood, pleasure." Belle said as she extended a hand to Hermione, who shook it.

"I'm Hermione Granger. Lovely to meet you." Hermione said rather officially.

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"Right... Well, I'm going to go put the bows on those Skiving Snackboxes we packed earlier. Let me know if there's anything else you need help with, Georgie." Belle said as she once again disappeared to the back of the shop.

"Since when do your employees call you Georgie?" Hermione asked, her face scrunched up into a cocky grin; the kind she made when she knew she was being clever.

"Did she call me, Georgie?" George fumbled, "I didn't even notice. I'll have to have HR talk with her for sure."

Hermione chuckled.

*********

George held the door open for Belle. "After you m'lady," he said as he gave a dorky bow.

Belle rolled her eyes, but walked through the door all the same.

The Leaky Cauldron was surprisingly quiet for a Friday evening. There were even seats open at the bar, a rarity that the pair took advantage of as they took their seats.

The bartender made his way over to them, "Can I start you off with a drink?"

"Firewhiskey for me." George said.

"I'll have the same, thanks." Belle said.

George feigned a look of surprise. "So Miss Blackwood likes some heat? I'll remember that." he teased.

The bartender placed a shot of Firewhiskey in front of each of them. George took his and raised it up, "To us."

"To us." Belle repeated before they both slammed their shots back.

Belle's face scrunched up as if she had tasted something sour, which made George laugh.

"So, a pureblood from a well to do family walks into a bar with a school drop out blood traitor. Tell me, is there a punch line to this joke?" George questioned.

"The joke is that the pureblood doesn't drink." Belle said, her face still stuck in its scrunched position.

The bartender returned, "Another round?"

"Yes, please." George said without hesitation.

"Water for me, thanks." Belle said.

"Excuse me miss, I was just wondering if I could buy you a drink?" a rather disheveled looking man asked. His robes were dusty and his face was covered in unkept stubble.

"Oh, no thank you." Belle politely declined.

"Come on baby doll, don't be that way." The man said as he moved closer, the smell of alcohol was heavy on his breath.

"She said no." George said firmly.

"Let the lady decide for herself." The man snapped at George, "Come on, love. Just one little drink."

The man slid his hand down Belle's side and gave her rear a little squeeze. Before Belle could even respond, George was out of his chair and had suckerpunched the chap square in the nose. Blood was rushing down his face and dripping onto the bar.

"Oh, what the fuck?!" The bartender yelled as he came running over here. "Out, all of you!" The bartender yelled as he cast a spell to clean up the blood.

"What?!" George roared, "Why should I have to leave when he was the one groping her?!"

The man had already left, as a small trail of drips of blood leading to the doorway suggested.

"I don't tolerate fighting in my bar. Just get out." The bartender said angrily.

"Come on, George" Belle whispered as she tugged gently on his arm.

George slammed a few coins onto the table, "For the drinks." He muttered.

Once they were outside, Belle noticed George rubbing his hand.

"Let me see." She requested.

"I'm fine." George assured her.

"George, just let me see it." Belle said rather annoyed.

George gave a little huff, and then presented his already bruising knuckles to Belle.

"You should get some ice on that. Come on, the shop is just down the street." Belle said and to her surprise, George didn't fight her on it as they made their way back to the joke shop.

George was now sitting on the front desk at the shop, his long legs practically reached the floor. Belle placed an icepack on his knuckles, which made George wince a little.

"I can't believe you punched that guy." Belle giggled.

"The git deserved it." George puffed.

"Well, I'm just glad that I had Sir George Weasley, first of his name, there to protect me." she joked.

"Protecting a lady's honor is not something to joke about." George said in an official tone, desperately trying to hold a laugh in.

Belle let out a soft sigh, "I think I'm falling for you, George Weasley."

"What's that love?" George asked as he playfully raised his hand up and pretended to cup it around an ear that was no longer there. "You're going to have to say that again a bit louder. You know, one ear and all."

Belle gave him a playful smack on the shoulder.

George flashed a fake look of shock, "I hope we aren't going to make a habit of me getting battered and bruised during every date."

Belle laughed, "No one beat you up on our first date."

"Says you!" George said as he began to rub his arm tenderly, "I reckon my arm is never going to be the same again after the walloping you gave it arm wrestling."

"You're something else, you know that?" Belle teased.

"You love it." George said with a grin as he gingerly held her head in his good hand. Belle felt herself melt at his touch. George pulled her in close to him, and their lips softly touched.


	4. Chicken Soup

Belle's head felt like it was going to explode. Her nose was bright red, and her sinuses were beyond stuffed. She sat on the couch, her body incased in a cocoon made out of the warmest blanket she could find. She had called off work sick that day.

There was a soft knock on the door. Belle grunted in protest, her body not willing to move. A second knock. Belle grumbled as she forced herself off the couch and shuffled to the door, dragging her blanket along with her.

She cracked the door open just enough to peak out, and to her surprise there was a rather tall red headed man on her doorstep.

"Hello, love." George said merrily.

Belle coughed into her elbow, making sure to turn away from George.

"You're actually sick?" George said curiously as he helped himself over the threshold of the doorway and into the small apartment.

"Of course I'm actually sick. Do I strike you as the type to fake sick?" Belle questioned.

"People pretend to call off sick? Who would ever do such a thing? I've never heard of such a ridiculous and irresponsible thing in my life" George pretended to be angry, but the hint of a smirk betrayed him.

"George, you literally sell candies to help people skip class." Belle laughed, which flared up another coughing spell.

George tenderly wrapped her arm around her and started to guide her back to the couch, "Come on love, you need some rest."

"I brought you something." George beamed.

"Is it the cure for the common cold?" Belle joked.

"It might be." George said as he revealed a small container that he had hidden behind his back, "I brought you some chicken soup. I made it myself."

"You can cook?" Belle questioned.

"When Molly Weasley is your mother, you're bound to pick up a few things." George chuckled and with a flick of his wand a bowl and spoon appeared. Once he had poured some of the still hot soup into the bowl he handed it to Belle and anxiously awaited her first taste.

Belle eyeballed the seemingly innocent bowl of soup, "It's just soup, right? There isn't some earwax Bertie Bott's beans melted in there or anything, right? No crazy hot peppers? No laxatives?"

George placed a hand on his chest and feigned shock, "Why would you ever think that an innocent boy such as myself would ever do something like that?"

Belle, who had begun to bring a spoonful of soup to her mouth, quickly lowered it back into the bowl.

George gave a hearty laugh, "It's just soup, Belle. Promise."

Belle slowly raised the spoon back up to her lips, her eyes fixed on George's with an accusatory stare. She swallowed the first bite of soup, and a warmth rushed into her belly. Even with just one bite, she began to feel the tension in her sinuses start to ease. "This is actually really good." Belle said shocked.

George smiled pridefully and took a seat next to Belle on the couch. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, "Go on now, eat up. I need you back at the store in tip top shape."

Belle rolled her eyes and continued to work on her soup. She didn't have to be told twice, it was surprisingly tasty. When she had finally finished, she opened her blanket cocoon. Her arms were stretched out wide, still clutching the blanket, which looked almost like she was pretending to be a butterfly, "If you aren't scared of getting sick, you're welcome to join me in here."

"I like to live dangerously." George joked as he slid into the oversized blanket and wrapped it around both of them. 

Belle rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. The smell of him was all around her. George Weasley smelled like cinnamon and firecrackers. It wasn't long before Belle drifted off to sleep.


End file.
